San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1887-09-28
PAREGORIC.

This address was read at the last
meeting OF the Matrimonial club. for the
benefit OF intending to be married
couples:
"To address ar semblage at once SO
we'll acquainted with the mutations and
subtle meanings Of language and so
deeply interested, at least prOspectively
in the topic of the evening, occasions me
much embarrassment. But careful In
vestIgation has disclosed a growth and
development Of this word which ! can
not doubt will prove entertaining to
you, as 1t has proven deeply interesting
to me.
The origin OF the word dates back to
the Garden OF Eden. You may suppose
that this has reference 10 the time when
Adam and Eve raised Cain, and In
some sense this may be true, but | sm
now speaking philolOgically and not do
mestically.
The word ParegOric-and 1t must be
borne in mind that speak pGregOricslly
all the way through-wRs not at fret
spelled as now. Ii was originally q
phrase and had reference, as you will see
further on, to Adams frequent attend
anoe at the club.
The full first sentence was thus:
or the pair, he is gone to get drink.
In the course OF ages 1t was abre-
waited to Pair, he gone to drink"
About the time of the building of the
go" without any good reason discov-
cradle to the most assiduOus industry,
30 that during few succeeding centu-
ries the phrase read Pair-he-goe-
drink"
Later on, and 1t is supposed about the
time that Alexander the Great cut such
a caper and drank so freely, it became
the fashion to substitute the effect Of
drink for the word itself, SO that 1t read,
down to the advent of William the Con-
Querer, in this wise: "Pair he-goe-hic,"
and came to signify that which comforts
the stomach, the bic standing for hic-
cough.
Since that time the only changes have
been the dropping OF the pin pair and
the English omission OF the s, result
ing in our common word paregorie.
Its use among children came through
the astuteness of mother Eve.
She observed that when Adam
the club that he invariably slept
soundly and serenely upon his re-
turn, and with wOman's Intuition she
"caught on" to the fact that Cain being
of the same gender IS his pareg Orlcal
papa, would doubtless b. affected In
the same way by the same medicine,
and so originated the perniCious habit,
Of administering sedatiVes to young male
children.
And so too originated the horrible
practice of rearing children on the bot
tie.
And 1t is from Cain that the sterner
sex inherit the disposition to raise their
great master-thei mad caprices still
bearing his name.
Time fOrbids Inc entering into all the
fine changes and meanings that have
followed the word 10 the course Of time,
but there is a lesson to be drawn from
parPgOric which should not be lost upon
the ladies of the club. 1t Is that ever
since the days of Adam and Cain, the
Irest avenue to the heart of man is the
stomach.
ParegOriC stands for principle and it
only means this: "Appease a mans
hunger and he will be a babe in your
hands" and having thus almost mad
vertently broached the subject of babies,
| do not feel warranted in the present
matrimonial status Of our members, in
pursuing the subject further.
1t is enough for me to have discover
ed and given history of paregoric, and
shall leave for some subsequent essay
ist the task OF Mountaineering upon its
uses, abuses and administration"
Recorders Court.
John Bowers, disturbing the peace, dis
missed,
Chas. Hicks, disOrdGrly, $40.
Frank MeIrOse, reckless driving, dis
missed.
5. Dsuenhauer, violating sanitary or
dinanCe, continued.
j. Rates, fighting, s..
B. j. Commisky, fighting, $40.
Jesse Rudder, fighting, 81.
ESQ Burgess. fighting, S..
Frank Walter; drunk and disOrderly,
S..
George Best, insulting language, dis
missed.